Get the latest tech news
Space Force mulls refueling as industry calls for funding, standards
The U.S. Space Force wants industry to invest in on-orbit refueling, but companies say they need standards first.
Along with demonstrating the first-ever in-space refueling operation, the U.S. mission showcased the ability to use tracking and imaging sensors to attach to a receiving satellite and perform maintenance, such as swapping out a battery or replacing a flight computer. The service’s response was fast, and its new acquisition office, led by Col. Joyce Bulson, has been conducting tabletop exercises and planning demonstrations to better understand how the Space Force can meet operators’ needs today and in the future. Companies have also shifted toward launching smaller, lower cost, more disposable spacecraft with shorter mission lives into low Earth orbit, an altitude of about 1,200 miles, further reducing the need for refueling services.
Or read this on r/technology
